Section 2: Code of ethics for dental surgeons

Dental surgeons must maintain good professional relations with each other. In the event of a disagreement of a professional nature between practitioners, the parties must submit to an attempt at conciliation before the President of the Conseil Départemental de l’Ordre.

It is forbidden to take undue credit for a scientific discovery, particularly in a publication.

Dentists owe each other moral support at all times. It is forbidden to slander a colleague, to speak ill of him, or to echo remarks likely to harm him in the practice of his profession.

Misappropriation or attempted misappropriation of customers is prohibited.

In all cases where they are called upon to give evidence in disciplinary matters, dental surgeons are, insofar as is compatible with respect for professional secrecy, required to reveal all facts of use to the investigation which have come to their knowledge.

The dental surgeon may welcome into his practice, even in non-emergency situations, all patients who fall within the scope of his practice, regardless of who their treating dental surgeon is. If patients make known their intention to change dental surgeons, the latter must provide them with the information necessary to ensure continuity and quality of care.

When a patient calls on the services of a second dental surgeon in the absence of the patient’s own dental surgeon, the second dental surgeon may provide the necessary care during the patient’s absence. He must give his colleague, as soon as the latter returns, and in agreement with the patient, any information he considers useful.

In principle, the dental surgeon must agree to see any other dental surgeon or doctor for a consultation when such a consultation is requested by the patient or the patient’s family. When a consultation is requested by the family or the treating dental surgeon, the latter may indicate which consultant he prefers, but he must give the family the greatest freedom and accept the consultant it wishes, guided above all…

The attending dental surgeon and the consultant have a duty to carefully avoid, during and following a consultation, harming each other in the minds of the patient or his family. The consulting dental surgeon must not, except at the express request of the patient, continue the care required by the patient’s condition when such care is within the competence of the attending dental surgeon.